


On the Run

by Pass1onAndH0pe



Series: Exploring Errortale [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Errortale, Error Sans - Freeform, Error talks about wrecking an AU and it scares everyone, Gen, Other, Underswap Sans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 05:44:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7672384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pass1onAndH0pe/pseuds/Pass1onAndH0pe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We'll be thinking 'bout our friends as we chase the setting sun. Except, well, maybe he doesn't make it outside to the sunset.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Run

It had been months since Papyrus became ruler of the Underground. Sans had been helping his brother in every way he could think of. He did anything to make their new life easier while it lasted. The skeleton was betting on a reset after a few months.

A reset which never came.

A year dragged itself by, and Sans reached the breaking point. Papyrus hid the fact being ruler tired him. The fact his brother began hiding things from him hurt so much to see. Secrecy went against what Papyrus stood for, and Sans knew it hurt him to act like everything was fine. He finally decided to end his brother's suffering. The shorter skeleton kept an eye out for the golden opportunity. The one thing that could end all of their suffering.

 

The child opened the heavy door with difficultity. The sight of snow confused them, but they pressed on. The Ruins had been so lonely and dusty; snow was a nice change of pace. At least, judging by the smile on their face.

Sans appeared in front of them when they reached the bridge. The child whimpered and cowered at seeing him. The monsters from the Ruins had been invited to the capital; Sans would be the first they would see. Guilt and hesitation stabbed his heart, but he knew what he had to do.

"I'll make this quick."

The skeleton held out a hand and raised it. From below, sharpened femurs broke from the ground and impaled the human. They didn't have a chance to cry out or react before death took them. The bones retracted, allowing the body to flop onto the snow coloring it red.

Sans waited and watched as their soul floated into view. It was a pastel color and contrasted well against the white around them. Using blue magic, he pulled it towards him. No one could stop him now. Yet, for a fleeting instant a memory with his brother came to mind. A speech made not long ago, its words full of conviction. A different kind, now that he thought about it, from what he was using now.

Denying any further hesitation, Sans fused with the soul. For a few seconds nothing happened, then at once a great heat flooded his body. It surged throughout his frame, and he could feel his form changing, growing, rearranging to suit his purpose. Sans kept one idea in mind as he endured the surreal experience. When he could feel snow beneath his feet again the word echoed in his mind: Freedom.

Sans raised his arms, for they had become angular like a bird's, and heaved himself into the air. Everything felt boundless, and he considered flying to the end of the cavern with just his wings. The surge of power created such an intoxicating feeling, but Sans resisted. With another wingbeat, he darted forwards and teleported to the throne room.

He didn't expect it to be empty. Papyrus received visitors from the kingdom inside its massive hall in order to discuss their problems. The garden had been kept in good shape, and his brother considered it a great place to talk to anyone and everyone.

Sans landed a few feet from the throne and looked around. No one was in sight, not even near the entranceways. He'd wanted his brother to at least witness him crossing the barrier. Sans would have called out had not there been a face guard attached over his mouth currently. Did he have a mouth at all? The concentration spent noticing Papyrus' absence made him take note of a noise. A whimpering which came from not around but within himself.

It was the human he had killed. They were inside him cornered away somewhere. Sans felt he should reach out, get his thoughts across to them, but they kept shying away. At length, he gave up and stomped forwards meaning to exit the room and cross the barrier.

A light from above distracted him. Like a window being opened in a space where no window existed. Out of it appeared a small black figure riding on a familiar giant skull. Sans dodged as the Gaster Blaster fired.

" **aww** , am i in the **way**? sorry, **pal** , i got work to do," announced a buzzing voice.

He didn't have time for fights or interruptions. Using his newfound power, Sans summoned rows of bones above him and fired off the missiles changing their trajectory every time the intruder dodged. It was strange; the other had what he guessed to be blue magic but it appeared as strings. With no effort, he could swing himself and the Gaster Blasters around the high ceiling in order to dodge and coordinate attacks.

Sans managed at last to box them into a favorable position to be impaled on all sides. As he summoned a few supporting projectiles and fired them the intruder used his magic strings to reach into the white window remaining open nearby.

The strings moved too fast for Sans to tell what was pulled out until it proved too late to stop anything from happening. The intruder switched places with none other than Papyrus. He watched as his confused brother became impaled and turned to dust in seconds. Not even long enough to cry out in pain. Sans' agonizing wail rang against the walls of his skull.

 

From Error's point of view, he seemed to vibrate the room they fought in. He didn't care, there was one person left now to take care of in this timeline. Dodging more missiles, firing more blasts, coincidentially dodging said blasts, Error felt this fight dragging on. This meltdown the other Sans was having needed to be stopped. Bit by bit, he edged his way closer to him weaving an unseen web.

"i'd like to keep this up, but you **seem** to have been **caught in a bind**." Error pulled taunt his strings. They restrained Sans' material form and sunk deeper to constrict his combined soul. "hold still, pal."

Error ignored the other's struggles and focused on examining what he could see of the soul. Taking out AU's always proved rewarding, but he figured he could learn something new about himself in this one. With a tug of strings, Error began to weave them through the combined soul tearing the fusion slowly apart.

The air vibrated around him telling him that the process was probably painful to his alternate self. Error ignored it being absorbed in his task. Pulling his fingers away, the human soul popped free and Sans reverted back to normal letting out one final scream.

"boy, you sure are shouty. and, also, pretty naive of a Sans. i mean, really, crossing the Barrier by yourself? **you?** it's a surprise you didn't burn up already." Error squeezed the trapped human soul shattering it easily. "but enough talk. i **don't** even think you can hear me. so allow me to **spare you**."

 

The story ended with Sans' soul being crushed between Error's strings. The vision faded from the window, and Blue turned to find the other watching for his reaction. He held tight to the unsteady grin on his face. Honestly, he had no idea what to think or say to the horror he had witnessed. Watching a different version of yourself die wanted to make him pass out and forget he'd seen it.

"WOW. SO, THAT'S HOW YOU LEARNED YOUR NEW POWER?"

"yeah! being able to tear apart a fused soul will come in handy. it also gives me a few ideas as to how to deal with that Fresh virus."

Error kept staring which Blue took as a sign to keep asking questions.

"THE TIMELINE... WHY DID YOU DESTROY IT AGAIN?"

"after examining the code, i knew the human wasn't gonna come back. even if there was another reset, the same outcome would occur. Sans would try to bust out and get souls, maybe he succeeds, but he dies in the end, and that's not how the story's supposed to go!"

Blue held back from saying anymore. Error's logic when it came to his destructive tendencies hurt to contemplate or understand. He gave an uneasy laugh and asked if they could check on UnderNovela. Anything to help curb the dread settling in his bones.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm happy to have had a reason to use the AU I thought up ages ago as to what happens if the Underground remains trapped in a King Papyrus neutral ending. As for an exact description of what Sans looks like fused with a soul- think of him being combined with Lugia (mainly because I wanted him to be able to fly). He's nowhere near as big, maybe like four times his regular size.


End file.
